Sun Performance and Tuning: Java™ and the Internet, Second Edition

Client/Server Comparisons

One reason that the name World Wide Web came into use is that the client-to-server relationships form a tangled web that spans wide-area networks. Other computing architectures are normally structured as a star or tree configuration, with each user ultimately connected to a single backend server that is situated locally.

A Java client often has a local server, either at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or in corporate environments at the department, building, domain, or site level. A vendor-independent NC boot process is being defined. However, for the first release of the JavaStation client, a Sun JavaServer™ is needed to provide boot services and network information services (NIS). The server also provides home ...